Receptacle for motion picture films



Feb. 11, 1936. v J. T. NlST 2,030,465

RECEPTACLE FOR MOTION PICTURE FILMS Filed March 8, 1934 avwwvtom JosephTMSZ Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The invention relates to receptacles for containing a plurality of reelsof motion picture films, and more particularly to receptacles forprotectively housing motion picture film reels for 5 transporting thesame.

Under the present motion picture theater system, it is necessary totransport film reels from place to place a great number of times, sothat they are subjected to much handling and knocking about.

Prior receptacle constructions have included various sizes and shapes ofcontainers, in which the film reels are capable of moving aroundconsiderably and bumping against each other as well as against the wallsof the container.

Consequently, film reels transported in such receptacles become bent orbattered out of shape during continued handling and transporting, withthe result that the film reels sometimes fail to fit properly theprojecting machines on which they are used. Also, the edges of the filmsthemselves tend to become torn or otherwise damaged.

In order to remove any of the film reels from such prior containers, itis usually necessary to unpack all of the reels, and it is sometimesdesirable to remove the reels one at a time as they are used.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide amotion picture film receptacle for housing a plurality of film reels insuch a manner as to prevent movement of the reels in the receptacle.

A further object is to provide a receptacle for transporting motionpicture film reels, which receptacle is fire-proof.

Another object is to provide a film receptacle from which the film reelsmay be removed one at a time without disturbing the other reels in thereceptacle.

A still further object is to provide improved handle means for clampingthe receptacle, which handle means may be easily manipulated without theuse of any tools whatsoever.

And finally, it is an object of the present invention to incorporate allof the foregoing desirable characteristics in a simple and inexpensivereceptacle construction of minimum size with respect to its capacity.

These and other objects are attained by the improvements comprising thepresent invention, which may be stated in general terms as including areceptacle having a preferably circular base, a cover forming the topand side walls of the receptacle and having preferably cylindrical sidewalls adapted to fit over the base, a reel-threading rod secured at itslower end in the central portion of the base and having its upper endadapted for projecting through the top wall of the cover, and handlemeans adapted for screwing on the projecting end of the rod to clamp thecover onto the base.

In the drawing forming part hereof,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved receptacle, a portionthereof being broken away to illustrate the manner of housing the filmreels therein;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view as on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detached plan view of handle and clamping means; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 44, Fig. 3,showing the handle in raised upright position.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

The improved film reel receptacle is indicated generally at Ill, andincludes the base I l and the cover l2. The base ll includes the.preferably circular wall I3 forming the bottom wall of the receptacle,and having the downturned angular flange M at its outer periphery. Atits lower end the flange I4 is preferably provided with an annularabutment bead l5 secured to the outer surface of the flange as bywelding or riveting and the like.

The cover l2 preferably includes a top wall It and preferablycylindrical sidewalls I1 extending downwardly therefrom. At its lowerend, the cover is preferably provided with a strengthening bead l8secured to the outer surface of the side walls I! as by welding orriveting and the like.

The cover l2 and the base II are preferably formed of sheet metal, andthe side walls H are adapted to fit tightly over and around the flangel4 of the base above the bead I5, so as'to render the receptaclecompletely fire-proof.

Preferably, the top wall l6" of the cover has formed therein a centralcup-shaped depression l9 having the cylindrical side walls 11 and thenormally horizontal bottom wall l6. At' its central portion the bottomwall It of the depression is provided with a preferably downwardlyflared aperture 20.

A rod 2| is provided within the receptacle for threadingthe film reelsR. thereon, the rod being adapted to pass through the central aperturewhich is provided in all standard motion picture film reels.

The lower end of the rod'is-detachably secured in the central portion ofthe bottom wall 13 as by the improved extending the rod through anaperture 22 provided in the wall I 3, nuts 23 and 24 being screwed onthe rod below and above the wall I3 for clamping the rod to the wall I3.

Preferably, the aperture 22 is square and the rod is provided with asquared portion 25 for fitting in the aperture 22 to prevent turning ofthe rod 2 I.

The rod 2| extends through the receptacle and its upper end is adaptedfor projecting through the flared aperture 28 in the wall I8 and intothe depression I8 formed in the top wall I8. The upper end portion ofthe rod 2| is threaded, and improved handle means indicated generally at21 is preferably provided for-screwing on the rod to clamp the cover. I2onto the base.

The improved handle means 21 preferably in cludes the nut member 28which is adapted to be screwed on the threaded end portion of the rod 2I, and the nut member 28 is preferably provided with the flat baseportion 29 for abutting the Wall I8 to force the cover downwardly ontothe base when the nut member 28 is screwed onto the rod 2 I.

The handle member 38 is provided with a hand hold 3| which is pivoted onthe handle shaft member 32, and the shaft member 32 is provided at itscentral portion with a disk 33 swiveled on the stud portion 34 of thenut member 28, as indicated at 35.

The central disk 33 of the handle member is provided on its undersidewith one or a plurality of ribs or keys 3! adapted to register with andfit into the grooves or notches 38 provided in the upper side of thebase 29 of the nut.

Preferably, a stop disk or fiange 48 is secured to the upper part of thestud portion 34 of the nut, and is positioned above the base 28 of thenut a distance sufiicient to permit raising of the disk portion 33 ofthe handle to disengage the ribs 31 from the notches 38.

The depth of the depression I9 formed by the walls I6 and I1, is suchthat when the handle member is in its normal position with the hand hold3| resting on the wall I8, the improved handle means is entirely belowthe top surface of the receptacle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In packing a plurality of film reels R in the improved receptacle fortransporting the same, assuming that the cover I2 has been removed fromthe base I I, the reels may be threaded on the rod 2| with the bottomreel resting on the bottom wall I3 in the manner indicated in Figs. 1and 2.

The receptacle may be designed to accommodate'any desired number of filmreels, the receptacle I8 being shown in the drawings as having acapacity of five.

The receptacle I8 is preferably made cylindrical and has a diameterslightly larger than the diameter of the film reels so as to be ofminimum dimension laterally, or in other words, to have a minimum sizeand weight for shipping and transporting.

After the capacity number of reels has been threaded on the rod 2 I, thecover I2 is placed over the base and the aperture 28 passed over theup-.

the depression I9 to force the cover downwardly onto the base until thebottom ends of the side walls I! and the annular bead I8 abut theannular abutment bead I5 on the base.

In this position the cover is securely clamped on the base, and thebottom wall I8 of the depression abuts the upper surface of the topmostreel so as to clamp all of the reels between the top and bottom Walls ofthe receptacle.

Thus the reels R are held against movement in any direction within thereceptacle so as to prevent any damage to the reels or the films thereonduring their transportation.

In carrying the receptacle by means of the hand hold 3|, the upward pullthereon disengages the ribs 31 from the notches 38, allowing the handlemember 38 to swivel on the stud portion 34 of the nut 28 without turningthe nut and unclamping the cover on the receptacle.

When it is desired to remove one or more of the topmost film only may beremoved without r dislodging the others. By then screwing the improvedhandle means 21 on the rod 2|, with the cover I 2 removed, the reels Rmay be handled as a unit for inspection purposes.

The improved receptacle I8 is completely fireproof when closed and issimple and inexpensive to construct. Also, it is of minimum size andweight so as to reduce the cost of transportation. Furthermore, sincethe rod 2| is detachably secured to the base, any of the parts, ifdamaged, may be easily replaced without requiring an entire newreceptacle.

The improved handle means 21 provides for clamping the cover on andunclamping the cover from the base, and for securely clamping the filmreels between the top and base of the receptacle,

without the use of any tools whatsoever. Moreover, the improved handlemeans 21 affords a means of carrying the receptacle without danger ofunclamping the cover from the base.

I claim:

1. A receptacle for motion picture film reels including a base, a coverhaving a top wall and side walls fitting around the base, the top wallhaving an aperture therein, a reel-threading rod secured at one end inthe base and having its other end projecting through the aperture in thetop wall, a plurality of film reels threaded on, said rod and supportedon the base within the cover, and handle means for clamping said coveron said base, said handle means including a nut member for screwing onthe projecting end of the rod and a handle member swiveled on the nutmember and adapted for selectively engaging the nut member for turningthe same.

2. A receptacle for motion picture film reels including a base, a coverhaving a top wall and side walls fitting around the base, the top wallhaving an aperture therein, a reel-threading rod secured at one end inthe base and having its. other end projecting through the aperture inthe top wall, a plurality of film reels threaded on said rod andsupported on the base within the cover, and handle means for clampingsaid cover on said base, said handle means including a nut member forscrewing on the projecting end of the rod, and a handle member swiveledon the nut member and adapted for normally engaging with the nut memberfor turning the same and for disengaging from the nut member when thehandle member is pulled upwardly.

3. A receptacle for motion picture film reels including a base, a coverhaving a top wall and side walls fitting around the base, the top wallhaving a depressed portion with an aperture therein, a reel-threadingrod secured at one end in the base and having its other end projectingthrough the aperture in the top wall, a plurality of film reels threadedon said rod and supported on the base Within the cover, and means forscrewing on the projecting end of the rod for clamping the cover on thebase to force said depressed portion of the top wall into abutment withthe topmost reel.

4. A receptacle for motion picture film reels including a base, a rodsecured at one end in the base, a stack of film reels supported on thebase,

each reel having a central aperture passed over the rod, a cover havinga top wall and side Walls, said side walls fitting on said base and saidtop wall having an aperture therein passed over the other end of saidrod, and a handle screwed on said other end of said rod for clamping thecover against the base and for carrying the film reels on the base whenthe cover is removed.

5. A receptacle for motion picture film reels including a base, a rodsecured at one end in the base and projecting upwardly therefrom, astack of film reels slidably positioned over the rod and supported onthe base, a handle detachably mounted on the other end of the rod, and acover member comp-rising a top wall and side walls for fitting on saidbase, said top wall having an aperture for passing over said other endof said red when the handle is removed, whereby the cover may be held onthe base by replacing the handle on the rod.

JOSEPH T. NIST.

